Communicating cancer prevention messages Dr Rachel Thompson, Head of Research Interpretation
Outline What and to whom Communicating CUP findings Challenges in communicating cancer prevention messages Example from WCRF-UK
What to communicate and to whom? Cancer prevention messages based on WCRF Recommendations Making it easy to follow advice Emerging evidence Strong evidence not part of Recommendations
Communication and social media WCRF enewsletters Conferences Twitter and Facebook Blog posts Press, radio, TV, medical publications Campaigns I CAN, Dry January
Campaigns
What do we talk about the most Body fatness weight Alcohol Physical activity Red and processed meat Less so Salt Supplements Vegetables/fruits Height Coffee
Liver cancer Three alcoholic drinks a day can cause liver cancer, new research finds Further strong research has emerged; being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of the disease. The research also found strong evidence that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of the disease. It follows research we published in 2013 showing that coffee reduces the risk of womb cancer. Physical activity and fish may also decrease the risk of liver cancer, but more research is needed.
Coffee Don t advise people to start drinking coffee Strong evidence that coffee may be beneficial, but we don t know why. It could be how much you drink, how regularly, the type of coffee or what you add to it that has an effect. Unclear the effect of high intakes We also need to be sure that there are no harmful effects for other cancers or conditions There are still too many unanswered questions for us to provide reliable advice on coffee drinking and cancer risk Area for future research
Kidney cancer Today we publish a new report which confirms that being overweight or obese increases the risk of kidney cancer. Also, strong evidence that being tall increases the risk of kidney cancer (developmental factors in the womb, and during childhood and adolescence, that influence growth that are linked to an increased risk of kidney cancer) The report s finding on overweight and obesity reinforces our current Cancer Prevention Recommendation to maintain a healthy weight
Being tall Genes, modifiable developmental factors (eg growth factors such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor, growth hormone, and sex hormones such as oestrogens) in the womb, and during childhood and adolescence Height is a marker of the whole series of events and experiences from conception to adulthood Knowing how growth influences the risk of some cancers and reduces the risk of other conditions could help support the development of policies to improve health throughout the life course around the world Research into hormones and other growth factors that influence height.
Challenges in communicating the cancer prevention message TEN recommendations (simplified to Eat Well, Move More, Be a Healthy Weight) Recommendations have been the same for 25 years (pro and con) Guidance has to be accurate (makes simplicity challenging) Alignment with national guidelines, science and network needs Communicating risk Informing public without blame Agreed key messages for the network
Challenges in communicating the cancer prevention message Environment Lack of awareness about prevention People think drastic changes are needed to prevent cancer Cancer prevention = no diagnosis e.g. GPs and time constraints People don t want information about cancer but about healthy living (unless there s a history - cancer prevention is a bonus) Similar advice to diabetes, heart disease, stroke
WCRF UK Website Information on lifestyle factors (recommendations), cancer types (CUP reports), preventability stats Publications available to download and order from eshop Streamlining printed resources. Digital-first approach Tools such as BMI calculator, alcohol calorie calculator Blog/news
Health professionals programme Audience: community health workers (practice nurses, occupational health workers, health trainers, pharmacists) Informed newsletter and enews Downloads very popular HPs looking for free resources Workshops accredited by Royal Society for Public Health - 4 workshops and 2 regional events annually - New elearning workshop to reach more HPs
Eat well Move more Be a healthy weight
Eat well Put plant foods first Reshape your plate to include 2/3 plant foods Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, wholegrains and pulses, like beans Avoid high calorie foods, usually high sugar/fat Choose smaller, leaner portions of meat and eat less than 500g (cooked weight) red meat a week Eat little, if any, processed meat like bacon and ham
I swap half the meat in my favourite chilli recipe for beans it s an easy way to make meat go further, and my husband doesn t even notice
Get active for 30 minutes a day Moderate or vigorous activity best, but any type of activity counts Start small and build up: even a little can be beneficial Try breaking it into 3 x 10 minute chunks Find something enjoyable Make it part of your day: walk to work, vacuuming, take the stairs Limit sedentary time Moving more
As soon as a song I like comes on the radio, my body moves. I may not be Darcey Bussell but dancing is such an easy way to get active
Be a healthy weight Reach and stay a healthy weight Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference Keep your weight as low as you can, within the healthy range Avoid gaining weight: extra 100 calories a day = nearly a stone over a year Eat a healthy diet and fill up on lower-calorie foods Keep an eye on portion sizes Be more active
I buy individually wrapped chocolate biscuits, eat one and keep the rest out of sight even with an apple it s 100 calories less than a full-size chocolate bar
For further information Rachel Thompson Head of Research Interpretation r.thompson@wcrf.org r.thompson@wcrf.org @wcrfint @rachellthompson facebook.com/wcrfint www.wcrf.org www.wcrf-uk.org